Elchsalami with beer cans.

Grell Green lit the birches, red lichen and the azure sky with colors and light stingy Lapland in the summer - and not even with mosquitoes. Bite-tolerant hikers start in Abisko in the wilderness of "Kungsleden," Sweden's most famous trail.

 

Abisko - the sky is the sun still high above the horizon. At the rest stop a campfire crackles, the wanderer stochert - umwabert of smoke - after a potato. So it is, the wilderness romanticism in Abisko National Park, 200 kilometers north of the Arctic Circle. 1909, ie 100 years ago, the park was established. This anniversary celebrates Sweden, which then became the first country in Europe has created national parks, now with a "Year of nature."

The smoke at the picnic area is good, because he keeps the - too many. Culex vulgaris, the common gnat, buzzing in massive swarms through the North Country, Summer, and next to her are also brakes, flying, Kriebelmücken and other nasty Schwirrgeister underway. But who goes hiking in Lapland, who knows that and ensures that: With clothes, by no proboscis sticks with defense sprays and Wildnishut together with a network before the face.

More exciting than all the rest of the insect fauna in Abisko: moose and reindeer can espy with high probability, as well as many rare birds. With a little luck are polar or Auerhahn fox, lynx or wolverine. Also bears and wolves roam through the park

In persistent rain through deserted wilderness

For the visitors from Central Europe is a Lapland trip, but even without such a rendezvous with a predator adventure enough: He wades through icy rivers, tracks 15 kilograms of luggage on the back, drinking from sources that sleeps by the fire and stapft by continuous rain in the deserted wilderness. Through lonely expanses of Lapland winds probably Sweden's most famous trail, the "Kungsleden. In Abisko begins the roughly 440-kilometer-long "King", which crosses several national parks.

Apart from some Sami reindeer breeders, live in the Fjällregion almost no people. But the trail opens up the mountains for nature: He is well marked paths lead through Bohlen otherwise barely passable Moore, and bridges span raging rivers. Moreover, because the managed huts, always beautiful one days march apart. There are dry beds, hot soups, cold beer and food for the road.

Even for shorter Fjälltouren Abisko is a good starting point. There is a supermarket, a petrol station and a few hostels. In parallel with the Europe street rattern day and night long freight trains over, the iron ore from the mines in Kiruna to Narvik port to bring in Norway. In Abisko start small hiking trails and guided tours, a chairlift goes up to the mountain Nuolja.

There, above the tree line 900 meters in height, shows the Lapland mountains in all its vastness: Below extends the mighty sea to the east from Torneträsk. Between the snow-capped peaks are bogs, marshes, rivers, pine forests and birch groves.

Log instead Felljurte

Who before the march in the mountains more about the landscape experience will find next to the tourist station in Abisko the Naturum. There are maps and touring tips, lectures and guided tours. A few steps behind the station of Abisko is also a replica Sami settlement. The Village Museum shows how the indigenous people 150 years ago and lived.

Today there are still many of them in the reindeer herding active. But instead of using skis and sled drive the animals now with helicopters and snowmobiles together. And they have their Rentierfelljurten against long block houses with electric heating and flat screen TV exchanged.

Anyone who truly wild wilderness searches, may from Abisko Vadvetjåkka arrive. Sweden's northernmost national park is only 25 square kilometers in size and is located in the high mountains on the border with Norway. There are no paths, bridges and huts, and few visitors to get lost here. You have to deal with the boat on the Torneträsk bring to and from the northern shore of six miles through unmarked, swampy terrain penetrate to reach the park.

On the campfire has become even baked potatoes. There are Elchsalami and beer cans in the river chilled. The mosquito net on the hat is folded down, the sun is shining still, the sleeping bag is rolled out. Were now a troll from the forest geschlendert, it's not a big surprise. He should like salami cost, sipping on beer and tell his life. But such thoughts probably only come here in summer Lapland.